Bears Looking to Right Ship as Season Winds Down
At this point of the season team generally are trying to round their game into top form to be ready for the playoffs. In the Owen Sound Attack’s case they are trying to find their game as the regular season winds down.
Mired in a late season slump, the Bears have shown flashes of the high octane team that was on full display earlier in the season, but playing consistently game to game has been the issue for Owen Sound. With standing points being the main focus at this time of year, the Attack have an opportunity this week to focus on their game, without surrendering a lot of key points, as they have a pair of contests against Eastern Conference opponents.
It all begins with a midweek Wednesday night game up in North Bay as the Bears wrap their season series against the Battalion. The contests will not be easy, as the Battalion are a top team within the league, currently sitting second in the Eastern Conference. Led offensively by Matey Petrov and Kyle Jackson the Battalion sit third in the league for goals scored and will present a stiff test for both the Attack’s defence and goaltender’s. To go along with the high powered offence, North Bay is also second for fewest goals against with a formidable goalie tandem of Dom DiVincentis and Charlie Robertson. Overall, the midweek contest offers the Attack a great chance to see how they truly measure up to one of the leagues most rounded teams.
Friday night offers a familiar opponent, as the Bears will battle Midwest rival Kitchener Rangers in what will be a very pivotal match for playoff standings. The Rangers have gotten hot as of late and are currently just three points behind Owen Sound in the standings. With Friday night being the second last meeting between the teams, the outcome could very well decide how both teams finish amongst a very cluttered lower half Western Conference. Having met twice in the last two weeks the teams are very familiar with one another, with each meeting having the road goalie steal the show as the teams traded wins. It was the game in Kitchener two weeks ago that the Attack were able to break a five game slump, and will be hoping that a return to the Memorial Auditorium will help get them back on track again.
The action rounds out with the lone home game on Saturday night as the Oshawa Generals visit the Bayshore. This marks the first visit to the Bayshore since late in the 2019-20 season for Oshawa. Owen Sound claimed the victory in a close hard fought contest back in November, when Colby Barlow netted the winning goal late in the this period. Though selling at the deadline and putting a focus on the future, the Generals are still in the mix for a playoff birth in the Eastern Conference, currently sitting three points ahead of Kingston for the final spot. The game also marks a great chance for scouts to see two of the OHL’s top 2023 NHL Draft prospects go head-to-head, as Attack captain Colby Barlow looks to lead his team to a season sweep on Callum Ritchie’s Oshawa Generals.
As always fans can catch live Attack action on Rogers TV Grey County or by streaming on CHL TV, and can also listen live to a home broadcast on 560 CFOS Bears Radio. Tickets for the home Saturday game can be purchased at the MacVicor and McComb Sutton Realty Attack Box Office by calling 519-371-7452 or going online. Fans are encouraged to get their tickets for Saturday night or any upcoming home game as soon as possible as tickets are becoming scarce.
The Weekend Preview is presented by Joe Tomatoes located in the Galaxy Plaza on the Sunset Strip.
